Deaths from a flesh-eating virus spreading across the globe continue to rise, and it has now been spotted in five countries.
Earlier this week, the Daily Star reported how Anthrax, first spotted in 1752, had already made its way to Europe after causing chaos in Zambia (with the virus detected in 684 people as of November 20). Of those cases, four deaths had also been reported, and it had been seen in nine of the country's 10 provinces.
However, in a worrying update, the World Health Organization (WHO) said 20 people have died as a result of the virus this year, and it has now been found in four other countries – Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
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The bulk of the deaths have been reported in Uganda, with 13. It has already been seen in Europe, after three cases were discovered in Romania in August, but they are no longer thought to be ongoing.
The epicentre is still thought to be the Sinazongwe district of Zambia, with 287 cases being found there. The overall 684 cases country-wide beats Zambia's previous outbreak record, which saw 511 cases reported in 2011.
The disease is one of the rare “spore-forming” bacteria that can go from animals to humans, and is now the fifth disease spreading so far this year alongside the latest Coronavirus strain, season flu, the mystery China pneumonia and whooping cough.
A WHO spokesman said earlier this week: "The risk at the regional level is considered high due to the frequent movement of both animals and people between Zambia and its neighbouring countries (such as Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe).
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Health officials in meltdown after fifth deadly virus detected – it's already in Europe
“This is compounded by the confirmed cases of anthrax spreading in provinces located along the basin of the Zambezi, Kafue, and Luangwa rivers. These rivers ultimately flow into Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, the Kahora Bassa lake in Mozambique, and Lake Malawi."
According to the Mayo Clinic, Anthrax has several different symptoms, depending on which version you get – with the worst case scenario for all version being death. For the skin-related version, symptoms include a raised, itchy bump resembling an insect bite that quickly develops into a painless sore with a black centre. If you've eaten uncooked meat from an infected animal, you can get nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headaches, loss of appetite, fever, severe, bloody diarrhoea, sore throat and a swollen neck. And lastly, if you inhale the spores – the worst possible version – the symptoms are:
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Flu-like symptoms for a few hours or days, such as sore throat, mild fever, fatigue and muscle aches
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Mild chest discomfort
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Shortness of breath
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Nausea
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Coughing up blood
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Painful swallowing
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High fever
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Trouble breathing
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Shock — an acute medical condition involving collapse of the circulatory system
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Meningitis
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